1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which exchanges print data with another apparatus via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a remote copy technique that outputs image data input by an image input apparatus such as a scanner or the like connected to a network to an independent image output apparatus represented by a printer or the like is popularly used. In general, a processing mode in which scan and print operations in the conventional copy operation are executed by different apparatuses on the network so that an original image scanned by the image input apparatus is printed out by the image output apparatus is called “remote copy”. On the other hand, a processing mode in which a series of operations from the scan operation to the print operation are executed by a single apparatus is known as “local copy”.
When the local copy function cannot be used since the printer function of the image input apparatus executes, for example, print processing of another job by the remote copy function, that image input apparatus can control another apparatus on the network to alternatively execute the print operation using its remote copy function. Also, when a copy output is manually distributed to a user at a remote place, it can be printed out by an apparatus placed near that user using the remote copy function, thus saving the man-hours required for such manual distribution.
Various techniques have been developed in association with such remote copy technique. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-331455 discloses a remote copy system which can select an optimal image output apparatus based on the copy condition set by a system user. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-163345 discloses an image processing apparatus which synchronously outputs input image data to a plurality of image processing apparatuses to improve productivity.
Furthermore, in recent years, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-23942, a technique that converts bitmap data input by, for example, scanning or the like into resolution-independent vector data has also been developed. Using such technique, upon execution of the remote copy, data can be sent to the image output apparatus in the vector data format. Furthermore, in this case, since the image output apparatus renders the vector data to bitmap data, the bitmap data need not undergo resolution conversion. Therefore, image deterioration of the bitmap data due to the resolution conversion processing can be prevented, thus implementing a high-quality remote copy.
However, in such high-quality remote copy system, since the image output apparatus needs to sequentially interpret and render vector data that describes complicated rendering data, the number of processing steps increases, resulting in a long remote copy processing time.